Delivery options

A Victorian variety that's been making a well-deserved comeback as gardeners rediscover its reliability, productivity and beauty – the plant has bicoloured flowers in red and white, making it decorative enough to plant among your flowers. The medium-length pods have a rich, full flavour and are produced over a long season if picked regularly. The flowers are edible too and make a colourful garnish.

Growing Instructions:Choose a spot in full sun with the richest soil you can provide: dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter before planting. From late spring sow seeds direct 5cm deep and about 20cm apart and support with sturdy hazel bean poles. Protect seedlings from slugs and squash blackfly as soon as they appear on shoot tips. Pinch out the leading shoots of runner beans when they reach the tops of their supports so they concentrate on making more beans instead of heading skywards.

climbing French bean 'Blue Lake'

French bean

pea 'Oregon Sugar Pod'

pea

dwarf French bean 'Boby Bianco'

bean - dwarf French

Early, white seeded variety a dwarf green bean has stringless pods

£2.29

60g of seeds
Discontinued

Do you want to ask a question about this?

If so, click on the button and fill in the box below. We will post the question on the website, together with your alias (bunnykins, digger1, plantdotty etc etc) and where you are from (Sunningdale/Glasgow etc). We'll also post the answer to your question!

Dad has grown runner beans on the same patch for years. Is it ok to grow leeks, kohlrabi, carrots and sprouts on this patch or even courgettes? I am trying to get a crop rotation underway but there is limited space.

The purpose of crop rotation is to reduce build-up of soil borne pests and diseases, and continuous cropping of the same vegetable can lead to an inbalance of soil nutrients. The plants you mention should be fine to grow in the same spot as the beans this year, but you will need to add plenty of organic matter to the area before planting and I wouldn't recommend growing the carrots or sprouts in the same spot next year. Even if the area is small, it really will help if you can try and work out a crop rotation to avoid problems in the future.

If you just want to grow a few vegetables or have suffered losses with early sowings, buying plants is a great way to play catch-up. Buying plants also allows you to grow vegetables if you do not have the facilities to raise them from seed yourself or whe

If you do nothing else...water new plants. Make sure new additions do not suffer during dry spells. Plant up summer containers bedding once the threat of frosts has passed. Feed container plants about six weeks after planting. If it’s a nice day...trim he

To get the best crops you need to make sure that they grow evenly which means ensuring they do not go short of water. Water thoroughly once a week applying about 20 litres per square metre rather than watering lightly more often. Some vegetables such as b

Once you start picking vegetables, such as runner beans and courgettes, keeping picking them regularly throughout the summer to ensure a continuous supply. Even the cropping period of French beans can be extended by harvesting regularly. Pick beans once a

I used to be a bit sceptical about all this new-fangled fashion for eating flowers. All a bit Guardianista, I thought. Looks nice and all that, but what about the flavour? Well. Then I ate a rosemary flower. And found out about the flavour, and why people

The longer I go on growing my own veg, the more support I need.It was all so simple when I started. All I needed was a few little wigwams. You know the kind of thing; stick five bamboo canes in the ground in a rough circle, tie the tops together and you